SilverSea Arctic Cruises on board the Silver Explorer

Duration: 12 - 26 days

from A$10900

Cruise comfortably through pristine landscapes of glaciers and icebergs on the Silver Explorer and observe the wide array of wildlife. The Silver Explorer has been specifically designed to easily navigate through the waters in some of the world's most remote destinations. We will travel along the same routes as famous polar explorers such as Andrée, Nordenskiöld, Amundsen and Nobile. Enjoy daily Zodiac cruises among the coastline and discover interesting fauna and flora

*The Silver Explorer also offers longer and shorter cruise itineraries
to and from the Arctic; please go to the Itinerary tab for more
cruises.

*You might also like to look at Silver Sea’s other cruise ship
itineraries on our website for the; Silver Cloud & Silver
Galapagos.

Silver Explorer Voyage 7813

17 Days | 16 Nights

Departure Port: Seward, Anchorage (Alaska)

Arrival Port: Otaru, Japan

After boarding the Silver Explorer, you will meet the expedition crew and have the chance to explore the ship while enjoying the evening at The Restaurant.

Kenai Fjords National Park’s famous Holgate Glacier will be our only
chance to see a calving glacier. The glacier comes down from the Harding
Ice Field and reaches the Holgate Arm of Aialik Bay. . Thousands of birds call these
rugged islands their home and we can expect to see Horned Puffins,
Tufted Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and of the auklet family the
Cassin’s Auklet and the Whiskered Auklet, among others.

You will have the opportunity to get up to close to abundant wildlife at Kukak Bay, Semidi Islands, Chignik and the Aleutian Islands. The islands will give us the first chance to go out in our Zodiacs to
get an up close look at Steller sea lions. Thousands of birds call these
rugged islands their home and we can expect to see Horned Puffins,
Tufted Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and of the auklet family the
Cassin’s Auklet and the Whiskered Auklet, among others.

As you sail away from Alaska towards Russia, spend a leisurely day enjoying lectures and presentations and learn about the Russian Far East, its wildlife and remarkable nature. You will also become a time traveller: coming from the east and
heading west you will cross the International Dateline actually from
west to east and therefore loose a day!

Every day, you will visit a different island, from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, a scientific cultural centre to Ruskaya Bay and Utashud Islands, enriched in history, shipwreck stories, and an abundant of spectacular scenery and wildlife that surround the islands.

Hop on scheduled Zodiac cruises to search for fur seals, and Steller sea lions, as well as birds like the Tufted Puffins with their colourful bills. Following on, you will sail south to the impressive island of Yankicha, a sinking volcanic caldera that is accessible only by Zodiac.

Over the last few days, you will search for more sea lions and fur seals around Chirpoy, Tyuleniy and Sakhalin Islands. Your visit is time at the height of the breeding season, so you will see not only the seals and sea lions, but also the Black-legged Kittiwake, Tufted Puffin, Common Murre and Pelagic Cormorant!

After clearance into Japan and following breakfast, you will disembark in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan.

*If you are looking for a shorter cruise, this departure also offers a 12-day itinerary (voyage 7814) starting from Otaru and ending in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. Please contact us for more details.

Silver Explorer Voyage 7815

12 Days | 11 Nights

Departure Port: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

Arrival Port: Nome, Alaska

A geothermal wonderland of volcanoes and hot springs await as you
follow in the footsteps of Vitus Bering. Remote and rarely visited
destinations offer sensational wildlife spotting opportunities with
countless birds nesting in the area. Zodiac tours will fascinate,
extraordinary topography will captivate and the whole journey will
enthral.

You will begin in Petropavlosk and explore the town of Peter and Paul, derived from two sailing ships used by Vitus Bering when the great explorer reached Avacha Bay in 1740. Following on, you will cruise the Zhupanova River by Zodiacs and expect to find the best birding and nature walks. Spot up to 40 different bird species and you may even see brown bears fishing for salmon in the river!

This cruise will pass by a Steller sea lion rookery on the north side of Cape Severozapadniy and search for these curious sea lions and perhaps even arctic foxes will be around.

Arrive at Yuzhanaya Glubokaya, and visit an abandoned fishing village that is still covered in wildflowers today. It is an area well-liked by brown bears. Cruise on the Zodiacs to Lavrova Bay, featuring a Russian shipwreck dating back to the 1970s.

Take the chance to visit Pyotr Bay for spectacular landscape and more bird-watching opportunities. A planned Zodiac trip will be scheduled to search for the Slaty-backed Gulls, Pigeon Guillemots, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Tufted Puffins, Horned Puffins, Comon Guillemots and Harlequin Ducks.

Cross the international date line and gain a day in Provideniya, Russia. You will stop here for your outward clearance before spending the day on board with final lectures and presentations. After breakfast on the final day, you will disembark in Nome, Alaska.

Highlights

Highly qualified expedition team and naturalist staff

Excursions and activities by Zodiacs

Opportunities to see sea lions, seals, arctic foxes and brown bears!

Silver Cloud Voyage 7916

26 days | 25 nights

Departure Port: Nome, Alaska

Arrival Port: Tromso, Norway

The first Northeast Passage traverse ever for Silversea Expeditions, this is your chance to become the polar pioneer you have always dreamt of. Retrace the voyages of famous explorers Nordenskiöld, Nansen, DeLong and Amundsen and travel as far north as the ice will let you. A wealth of wildlife, geological and cultural experiences await, while visits to local villagers will warm your soul.

Silver Explorer will explore the wilds of Wrangel Island over the course
of approximately three days. This protected nature area and UNESCO
World Heritage Site has a large number of polar bears and was the last
known place the woolly mammoth roamed. Grey whales, bowhead whales and
beluga whales are known to be in the Chukchi Sea and the island is an
important breeding ground for walrus. At Cape Florence look for the two
types of lemmings found on Wrangel, as well as Arctic foxes, Snowy Owls
and the subtle but impressive tundra flora.

While heading west, we will see the varying approaches that explorers
like Nansen, Nordenskiöld and Amundsen took in these frigid waters. Our
aim is to venture as far north as possible, where few have been,
searching for seals, walrus, and polar bears on the ice.

Highlights:

Cultural presentations in Provideniya and Uelen village highlighting Russian and local folklore

Silver Explorer Voyage 7917

16 days | 15 nights

Departure port: Tromso, Norway

Arrival Port: Reykjavik, Iceland

Combine a journey to the Svalbard archipelago with the
rarely visited East Greenland, in search of the King of the Arctic – the
indomitable Polar bear. Noble, robust and monumentally large, any
sighting of these beasts is sure to set pulses racing. With the midnight
slowly sun sinking in the sky, scan the chilly horizon by Zodiac or
during tundra hikes and your bragging rights will be assured!

Join us for a journey to Svalbard and East Greenland, to see isolated
islands, remote landscapes, glaciers, and to look for polar bears,
walrus and musk oxen. Aboard the resilient Silver Explorer and by
Zodiac, go past spectacular bird cliffs in Bear Island and Svalbard,
marvelling at the number of guillemots and gulls that congregate using
these cliffs to nest. In Svalbard, you will encounter fascinating
landscapes, mountains, fjords and glaciers while looking for walrus and
polar bears. In East Greenland we will hope to enter into perhaps the
largest fjord system in the world. Throughout the voyage, learn about
the geology, wildlife, botany and history of this spectacular region
from lecture presentations offered by your knowledgeable on board
Expedition Team.

Highlights:

Meet the inhabitants of Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the few settlements in East Greenland, and learn about their hunting and dog sledding traditions

Silver Explorer Voyage 1918

16 days | 15 nights

Departure port: Reykjavik, Iceland

Arrival Port: St John's, Newfoundland

Follow in the footsteps of the early Norse exploration
of Greenland and Canada and go beyond your boundaries in a region that
is unparalleled in bucolic loveliness. From the outstanding pieces of
Inuit art in Qaqortoq, Nuuk and Iqaluit to small fishing communities of
Aappilattoq to relaxing in hot springs as icebergs float by, this is a
journey of warm welcomes, chilly waters and pristine scenery.

Join us for a journey to follow the route of the Norse in
they explored the rugged coasts of Iceland, Greenland and North America.
Heading first to East Greenland, we will experience the beauty of
fjords, glaciers and icebergs. In South and West Greenland, we will see
the remains of Norse settlements and visit small towns and villages to
encounter this fascinating mix of local and Danish culture. Visit L’Anse
aux Meadows (UNESCO World Heritage Site) to see first-hand how far to
the south the Norse journeyed and eventually settled. Enjoy examples of
Inuit art and learn about the traditions they still follow today. Look
for walrus, polar bears, humpbacks, Minke whales and orcas as we cruise
by Zodiac and aboard the Silver Explorer. Throughout the voyage, learn
about the history, geology, wildlife and botany of this spectacular area
from lecture presentations offered by your knowledgeable on board
Expedition Team.

Highlights:

Retrace the route taken by the Norse and see the remains of Norse manors and churches in Greenland and Canada.

Visit a small village in Southwest Greenland to see how the Inuit live.

Learn about the different cultures that have lived in Greenland and Nunavut at the Greenlandic National Museum in Nuuk and Iqaluit’s visitors center.